Abstract
1 Unité de Génétique Moléculaire, Génétique Virale, INRA, Ecole Nationale Vétérinaire d'Alfort, 94704 Maisons Alfort
and2 CNEVA, Laboratoire Central de Recherches Avicole et Porcine, Unité de Pathologie Aviaire, BP 53, 22440 Ploufragan, France
The capacity of E1A gene-deleted and thus replication-defective adenovirus type 5 (Ad5) to transduce foreign genes in chicken embryo fibroblasts (CEF) as well as in chickens was investigated. The lacZ and luciferase genes were successfully transduced in CEF by replication-defective Ad5, demonstrating that these cells possess receptor(s) for binding and penetration of Ad5. A single intramuscular inoculation of Ad-gD, a replication-defective Ad5 harbouring the gD gene of pseudorabies virus, in adult and 1-day-old chickens led to the production of very high titres of specific antibodies. These gD-specific antibodies persisted for at least 56 days. These results demonstrate that replication-defective Ad5, despite its mammalian origin and the deletion of the E1A gene, is a good candidate for developing non-spreading vaccines in poultry.
* Author for correspondence. Fax +33 143 96 71 31. e-mail MarcEloit@vet.alfort.fr